


Aw, Blind Dating, No

by fanficwriter013



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-28 04:49:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18749353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficwriter013/pseuds/fanficwriter013
Summary: Nat decides it’s her duty to set Bucky up on a blind date. (Inspired by thisPinterest post.)





	Aw, Blind Dating, No

Bucky sat impatiently tapping his fingers against his coffee mug. Nat had forced him into another setup. He wasn't sure what it was about that feisty redhead about half his size, but he knew she could do serious damage if she wanted to. Said blind date was supposedly set for half an hour ago, and he was just waiting it out until it was acceptable to rush out.

His waitress approached the table again, offering to refresh his cup. But she had those pitiful eyes he'd seen on a number of occasions. This wouldn't be the first time the notorious, albeit former, winter soldier had been stood up. That's when it happened.

An average height blond male swept over to the table, spewing apologies, blaming traffic, the weather, black magic, the moon cycle, you name it for why he had been so late to meet with him. The waitress's demeanor immediately changed bubbly offering a greeting to this strange man. Whom Bucky was now noticing was favoring his left arm, had a small bruise blossoming under his right eye, and red marks peeking out from under his tattered t-shirt.

"Sorry about that. Nat sent me." The blond said the second the waitress walked away. If this was his blind date, Steph, he'd certainly misread and misheard what Nat had told him about her.

"You're Steph?" Bucky asked tone bored as his fingers continued to tap on his coffee mug. The blond laughed at him.

"Goodness no. Steph got back with Cole, what kind of name is Cole. Sounds like a villain name to me. And only texted her like ten minutes ago, and I just finished a." His blue eyes briefly darted in the direction of the waitress.

"Very important tax ledger, and then it was like everyone and their mother was out today. I got hit with a pigeon. Yes, a pigeon." He said as the waitress set his cup of coffee down at the table. He politely thanked her, while Bucky marveled at how quickly he had gone from speaking obvious spy topics to general nonsense in nothing flat.

"And honey, if I may, please stick around. I've got a caffeine problem, don't you know it sugar bear?" The blond asked, reaching across the table to take Bucky's hand off his coffee mug and gripped their fingers together. The waitress gave a little chuckle, only slightly forced as she walked off.

"So, as I was saying. I was in the middle of a very important mission that definitely didn't end with me taking a head dive into a dumpster when Nat told me to come here and rescue you." He said, and Bucky gave him a look. The blond released his hand, then tilted his head as if he just now realized he hadn’t given a name.

“Oh, right. Clint Barton. Nat likes to call me the walking disaster.” The blond, Clint, finally introduced himself. Bucky was starting to understand why Nat might call him that. Based on his inflictions when he was telling the truth, he’d been hit with a pigeon and had gotten into a fight with a dumpster today.

“Is that because you’re pigeon target practice?” Bucky asks, his tone suddenly flirty. And where the hell had that come from. It wasn’t that he was flirting with a man, it was that he was flirting at all. Sure, he wasn’t the Winter Soldier anymore. Yes, Wanda had removed the trigger words from his brain. And yes, he was healing. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the dating part of the healing phase yet.

“Must have pissed off Pigeon Man,” Clint said, with a shrug and a sly smile. Was he, was he flirting back? Bucky was so preoccupied with that question, that he missed the waitress coming back to find out if they wanted any food, as she refilled Clint’s coffee cup.

“Yes, please, honey,” Clint said smoothly. “I’m going to go with the special, an extra order of fries, three slices of pizza, and onion rings. And my sugar bear wants them.” He paused to look at Bucky first then at the menu board.

“Chunky Monkey pancake platter with chocolate chips, a bowl of oatmeal with all the berries, a glass of orange juice, and a cherry danish.” He said, and the waitress scrambled to write down everything. Her eyes looked like she wanted to ask if they were sure they needed that much food, but she didn’t ask and gave a brief it’ll be right out before she walked away to put in their food order.

“Sorry, should I have let you order for yourself? I probably should have. That was insensitive.” Clint was back to talking as fast as he normally did, leaving Bucky’s head spinning. He quite felt like the blinky eye meme at the moment.

“Oh, crap. I should have. I’ll call her back. Can disregard everything. You just seemed like the breakfast type. A solid peanut butter banana with chocolate type. Shouldn’t have done that. Nat told me not to be insensitive, right before she hung up and what did I just go and do.” Clint was muttering at himself, mostly now. Bucky reached across the table, grabbing his right hand. Startling the blond into silence.

“Clint, you can calm down a little. You walking disaster. I’m not going to break just because you told the waitress what you thought I wanted to eat. Which was totally spot on by the way.” What few people did try and interact with him, outside of Nat, were always like this. Eggshells, and pity, or glaring eyes and equally angry body language as they flat out ignored him. Clint seemed to relax a little.

“You know how Nat gets. Didn’t want to upset her. Because, you know, they’d never find my body.” Clint said, and Bucky laughed nodding. It was very true.

“So just relax, archnemesis of Pigeon Man,” Bucky said only just now realizing that he was still holding Clint’s hand and that the man was, seemingly, absently rubbing his thumb across Bucky’s hand.

From there the rest of the not a date went well. Feeling almost better than any of the blind dates that Nat had set him up on in the past month, and there had been plenty. He and Clint had exchanged numbers after they almost finished all the food. Clint had left about half a slice of pizza. Claiming he needed to take it for pizza dog. They’d also arranged for another, meet up for the following day.

~~~~~~

Clint finally got back to his apartment, after having to crawl up a couple flights of stairs. The adrenaline, and then all the flirting having distracted him from his mission injuries for a handful of hours. He dropped the box with the pizza onto the floor the second he got into the apartment and flopped onto his couch. Landing on Nat in the process.

“There was never a Steph, was there?” He asked, not even bothering to look up at her. He could feel her give a half shrug.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Nat snarked at him.

**Author's Note:**

> Square: O5 Clint Barton Bingo


End file.
